Adrian Mutu to appeal against record damages

DPA Rome, Aug 15 (DPA) Romania striker Adrian Mutu is to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after he was ordered by FIFA to pay 17.2 million euros ($25.3 million) to former club Chelsea in damages for breach of contract, it was reported in Italy Friday. Mutu’s lawyer, Paolo Rodella, was quoted by Gazzetta dello Sport daily as saying he was preparing an appeal to the Lausanne-based court. Chelsea signed Mutu from Parma for 15 million pounds ($27.8 million) in 2003 but the following year he tested positive for cocaine and was given a seven-month worldwide football ban. Football’s world governing body calculated the compensation according to the value of the remaining period on a contract that was cancelled by Chelsea in October 2004 after the positive drugs test. It is the biggest damages sum ever ordered against a football player.

Chelsea welcomed the award as “a very significant decision for football.”

A statement on the Chelsea website said: “Not only did the Dispute Resolution Chamber (of FIFA) make us a very significant monetary award, it also recognised the damaging effect incidents involving drugs has on football and the responsibility we all have in this area.” DPA